Public Transit and Bikesharing (2018)

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1 The research that produced TCRP Synthesis 132: Public Transit and Bikesharing was com- missioned by the Transit Cooperative Research Program to assess the status of integration between bikeshare and transit systems in the United States. This synthesis is intended to inform transit agency staff, bikeshare system operators, and other transportation profes- sionals on the state of the practice in this rapidly evolving arena. Bikeshare is an on-demand transportation service that allows users to access bicycles for a fee and use them for point-to-point connections to local destinations (Figure 1). Bikeshare provides affordable, convenient, and sustainable travel options with multiple benefits to users and jurisdictions alike. The number of communities in the United States with bike- share systems has grown rapidly over the last decade; there are now over 70 public bikeshare systems in the United States. Bikeshare implementation in the United States has rapidly evolved and technological advancements have helped mitigate the effects of the early challenges. An expert panel of bikeshare operators and transit agencies provided guidance on the focus of the project. The study was conducted through a two-step approach that included an online survey and follow-up telephone conversations to construct profiles of representative bikeshare systems. The online survey went out to 40 representatives from transit agencies, local agencies that are managing bikeshare systems (e.g., city transportation department or nonprofit organizations), and bikeshare operators in communities across the United States. When selecting candidates for the online survey, the research team considered geographic distribution, community size, operational models for the bikeshare program, bikeshare sys- tem size, transit system size, and the type of bikeshare equipment used (technology and manufacturer). Thirty-two survey responses were received for a response rate of 80%. S U M M A R Y Public Transit and Bikesharing TCRP Synthesis 132: Public Transit and Bikesharing is a resource documenting the current state of the practice related to the integration of bikeshare and transit. This report identifies known challenges and lessons learned related to this integration and provides potential areas for further study related to bikeshare/transit integration. This synthesis is targeted to the following groups: • Transit agencies; • Local, regional, and state transportation policy makers; • Elected officials; • Bikeshare operators; and • Local, regional, and state transportation and transit planners.

2 Public Transit and Bikesharing Source: Capital Bikeshare. Figure 1. Capital Bikeshare. Source: Boulder B-cycle. Figure 2. Boulder B-cycle is a nonprofit owned and operated bikeshare system. Bikeshare systems in the United States generally fall into one of three implementation models, each with different benefits and challenges. These models include • nonprofit owned and operated bikeshare systems (Figure 2), • privately owned and operated bikeshare systems, and • publicly owned and operated by third-party systems. Today the most common bikeshare technologies used in United States include “smart dock” and “smart bike” systems. Smart dock systems use an electronic kiosk and dock- ing mechanisms to house and lock the bicycle. Link Dayton Bikeshare uses smart dock bikeshare technology (Figure 3). Smart bike systems have similar functionality as smart dock systems, but the technology is housed on the bicycle itself. Other technologies and schemes such as bike libraries (where users can check out a bicycle for extended usage) have been implemented in smaller markets. Electric-assist and stationless bikeshare sys- tems make up part of an emerging community of bikeshare systems in the United States. Evidence suggests that bikeshare has brought economic, mobility, health, and safety benefits to communities where it has been implemented. Furthermore, based on information shared by system administrators, bikeshare and transit serve as complementary modes of transporta- tion. However, the full effects of complementarity have not been fully studied.

Summary 3 While increased attention has been paid to the integration of bikeshare and transit among stakeholders and the public, there are significant technological and operational/ institutional hurdles and fully integrated bikeshare/transit systems are not yet common- place. In the development of this study, researchers identified five general areas where agencies and operators are integrating bikeshare and transit. These areas of integration are not mutually exclusive, and communities may have integration in more than one area: Area 1—Geographic Integration. Bikeshare stations are placed at or near transit stops. Nice Ride Minnesota in Minneapolis (Figure 4) locates its stations near or next to transit stops to help provide first-mile and last-mile service. Area 2—Station Branding and Bikeshare Marketing Integration. Bikeshare and transit share similarities in the branding of their fleet. Area 3—Semi-Integrated Fare Payment. A single transit fare payment card is used to access transit and bikeshare. Back end financial systems are separately administered and main- tained. Metro Bike Share (Figure 5) uses a semi-integrated fare payment system to help provide a seamless connection between bikeshare and transit for transit users. Area 4—Fully Integrated Bikeshare Payment Systems. One single transit fare card is used to access bikeshare and transit, and the back-end processing is combined into one single user account. Source: Jan Underwood (Link Dayton Bikeshare). Figure 3. Link Dayton Bikeshare illustrating smart dock technology. Source: Nice Ride Minnesota. Figure 4. Nice Ride Minnesota.

4 Public Transit and Bikesharing Area 5—Operations and Maintenance Integration. The transit agency serves as the bike- share program’s implementing agency, responsible for the management and financing of the bikeshare system. Bikeshare has rapidly expanded throughout the United States over the last 10 years. Bike- share technology continues to evolve, changing the way systems are implemented and users access and use the services. This constant evolution has also helped the integration of bike- share and transit. However, based on the data gathered for this report, there are three key areas for the integration of bikeshare and transit that warrant further analysis: • Software compatibility. While there have been advances in the fare payment technology in both bikeshare and transit systems, there is still incompatibility between different compo- nents of the back-end software that supports financial transactions for both bikeshare and transit. To this end, there is a need to research the barriers to technology compatibility and evaluate different options for addressing these barriers. • Impacts on transit ridership. In order for transit operators and bikeshare providers to have a more informed conversation about the pros and cons of integration, it will be important to have accurate data about the relationship between bikeshare trips and transit trips. While there is anecdotal and circumstantial evidence for the complementary effects of both, more in-depth investigation is needed to explore how bikeshare affects transit catch- ment areas, circumstances where bikeshare may reduce transit ridership (potentially a benefit in crowded areas), and other relationships. • Economic impacts. There is a small but growing body of research exploring the effect of bikeshare on retail sales and property values. However, more research is necessary to accu- rately document the relationship, and understand how bikeshare combined with other factors (e.g., land use, transportation infrastructure, and transit) affects local economies. • Impacts of stationless bikeshare on transit. Stationless bikeshare systems are an emerging trend in North America and, as such, no research has been conducted on their impact on local jurisdictions and transit. More in-depth investigations should explore the effect of stationless bikeshare systems on local jurisdictions and transit. Source: Metro Bike Share. Figure 5. Metro Bike Share.